Because another wine food and travel blog was way too long.
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The Lost Art of Being Gracious
When I was a little girl, I hated writing “Thank You” notes to my grandmother. First, because she always got me “practical” gifts — the one that sticks out the most is a pair of flannel pajamas that were about five sizes too big (that I could ‘grow into’). But more so because she would correct all my spelling or grammatical errors and send my note back to me. That sounds pretty mean, I guess, to do to an 8 year old (the first time I can remember). After a few of those, however, I made sure that I didn’t just dash off some sloppy note that said:
Once you see the context to my grandmother’s response, it doesn’t seem nearly so mean, does it? Perhaps my school teacher grandmother could see what I really was saying:
So many of us in the wine blogging and writing business have come to expect a certain treatment when we visit a winery, because we hold the “power” to affect their reputation. That is unfortunate, because if not for the hard work of the winemaker, the vineyard director, the tasting room staff, the marketing and PR folks, and the risk of the winery owners to open themselves up to criticism, as well as the financial undertaking that goes with a winery, we couldn’t write about wine. That may sound a little hokey, especially to those who see their jobs as a consumer advocates or pure-journalists that “report” the news. But I see a difference. We’re not “news reporters” when invited into a winery, or someone sends us samples. A news reporter does research independent of the invitation. He purchases his own wine, as a consumer. She pays the tasting room fees, and doesn’t expect anything for free. He gets the same access as would any other person who either made an appointment, or walked into a tasting room during its normal operating hours. We tend to get quite a bit more. Likewise, sometimes a winery doesn’t see a visitor as a gift. Some of them even act as if they’re doing the person a favor just to allow you to be in their presence or taste their wines. They’ve lost the art of being gracious.
We enjoyed a range of varying experiences with wineries as a result of attending the 2009 Wine Bloggers Conference. Some, like our visit to HALL wines after the conference, or to Twisted Oak pre-WBC went over the top. That’s because these wineries and their owners seem to “get it” when it comes to building relationships. They treat us like valued clients and customers, because in many ways we are. That’s why 15 or so of us made the 3-hour trip to Murphys, and stayed at our own expense, to visit with Twisted Oak’s “El Jefe” Jeff Shai (we, for the second time this year)! That’s why others stayed over an extra couple days, at our own expense (albeit a discounted rate) at the serenely beautiful La Residence, to spend an entire day learning more about HALL wines. I don’t believe it was only because we were Wine Bloggers that these particular wineries went the extra mile. From what we can tell they do the same with all their clients and visitors. When we toured some of the other guest rooms at La Residence, I saw envelopes with the same handwriting on them as the gracious handwritten personalized note waiting for me in our room, when we checked in. As does Bedrock Wine Company’s Morgan Twain-Peterson, who sent handwritten “thank you” notes to those who ordered wines from his initial releases. And Robert Sobon, who treated us to a lunch he prepared himself when we visited Shenandoah Vineyards and Sobon Estate. We can say we have met and tasted wine with a United States Ambassador. But we did so with a number of other ambassadors as well. Those who are successful ambassadors for their wineries make all their visitors feel valued — be it the wine blogger, the giver of a $2,100 Napa Valley Romance package, the wine club member, the single-bottle buyer, or the couple that makes a visit to the tasting room but doesn’t make a purchase. They appreciate every opportunity to tell their story as “a gift,” and are gracious in their receipt. We look forward to the coming years as more wineries not only wholly embrace social media, but re-discover graciousness when it comes to acknowledging every gift! ~Amy Corron Power, 
View Comments to “The Lost Art of Being Gracious”
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July 29th, 2009 at 3:38 pm
Great post Amy! I always cringe when I don't receive ty notes since I was raised to always send a ty note immediately…hence why my wedding ty notes went out on the 3rd day of our honeymoon!!
July 29th, 2009 at 3:49 pm
Great point! Very nice write up.
July 29th, 2009 at 3:54 pm
I love this sentiment. Perfect tone!!
Ash
July 29th, 2009 at 4:49 pm
Great post about the need to embody some 'old fashioned' values in this 'new fashioned' world!
July 29th, 2009 at 5:28 pm
thanks! I always thought it was just a Southern thing to write “thank you's” until I got older. People feel appreciated when they are acknowledged. And it goes a long way in building a long-lasting relationship.
July 29th, 2009 at 5:43 pm
Thanks. And great meeting you face to face at the conference!
July 29th, 2009 at 5:44 pm
True. Courtesy should never go out of style!
July 29th, 2009 at 6:15 pm
Well, you my dear are a special case. But I do agree that a simple handwritten (personalized) thank you note goes a long way.
July 29th, 2009 at 6:24 pm
There was a social organization that my best friend had been trying to get into for years. A handwritten “thank you” got me an invitation to join after my second visit. Sometimes they are a little time consuming to write, but they do make a difference. And keep the USPS in business!
July 29th, 2009 at 6:47 pm
What's your mailing address? I want to send you a thank you note for this post.
July 29th, 2009 at 6:57 pm
You're absolutely right, Amy. Certainly all of us could do better to practice graciousness, which should be the unspoken integral part of the “social” part of social media – and our everyday lives.
So wonderful to finally live it up with you and Joe this past week. And now, time to write some “thank you” notes!
July 29th, 2009 at 9:03 pm
LOL. If you email us, we'll give it to you (or you can choose CONTACT us) We have found when we post a physical address we get a great deal of SPAM. you can email me at WineWonkette@gmail.com
July 29th, 2009 at 9:04 pm
Great finally meeting you too. I'm still contemplating whether to use my boxes and boxes of stationary, or creating something completely new. I suppose to save trees, I should use what I already have!
July 30th, 2009 at 3:52 am
Nice post Amy. Thank you notes are a greatly appreciated practice from a less hurried era and a more gracious past.
July 30th, 2009 at 12:29 pm
Amy,
I agree with you and the other folks that commented. Not sending someone a simple thank you letter whether it’s hand-written or by e-mail to express your gratitude shows very poor manners after that person has gone out of there way to treat you with so much kindness.
Most people wouldn’t think twice about sending a thank you letter to an interviewer(s) immediately after a job interview. But, they don’t see the same importance of sending a thank you letter to someone that has probably treated them a whole lot better?
As you point out so well, good etiquette and manners might seem “old-fashioned” to some, but it certainly never goes out of style and it certainly says a lot about who you are as a person.
Thank you for showing your appreciation and gratitude to those who treated you and Joe so warmly while attending the wine bloggers conference.
Best regards,
Mark
July 30th, 2009 at 4:29 pm
Amy,
I agree with you and the other folks that commented. Not sending someone a simple thank you letter whether it’s hand-written or by e-mail to express your gratitude shows very poor manners after that person has gone out of there way to treat you with so much kindness.
Most people wouldn’t think twice about sending a thank you letter to an interviewer(s) immediately after a job interview. But, they don’t see the same importance of sending a thank you letter to someone that has probably treated them a whole lot better?
As you point out so well, good etiquette and manners might seem “old-fashioned” to some, but it certainly never goes out of style and it certainly says a lot about who you are as a person.
Thank you for showing your appreciation and gratitude to those who treated you and Joe so warmly while attending the wine bloggers conference.
Best regards,
Mark
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